Chrysanthemum is the major cut flower commercialized in the São Paulo State, Brazil. This study aimed for the standardization of chrysantemum flowers in order to set new parameters of quality for trading, in both domestic and international markets. Chrysanthemum inflorescences from three regions were evaluated for four seasons, and compared to current standards. The evaluated quality criteria were: stem length, fresh weight, number of inflorescences (open and buds), site of insertion and number of branches, stem stiffness, presence of development defects, chemical residues, occurrance of pests and diseases. The conclusions were: a) stem length, fresh weight and stem stiffness were closer to current standards; b) the number of flowers and buds, the site and number of branchs and the presence of bent stems indicated that it may be necessary to take care of debudding and lifting the suport net; c) the presence of chemical residues, pests and diseases were the parameters that showed the worst results, indicating that research is still required for the adequate application of agricultural defensives; d) No effect of season was observed on quality.
chrysanthemum; quality evaluation; Dendranthema grandiflora